Red Dragon Spaceship Awakening: I Gain Alien Abilities on Mars-Chapter 213: A Crazy Idea

Honestly, why the hell did Tatehan think it would be a good idea to listen to music while fighting?

It was a ridiculous concept when he really thought about it.

Combat was supposed to be about focus, awarenes, paying attention to every movement, every sound and every shift in the environment that could mean the difference between life and death. Adding music to that equation seemed like the kind of thing that would get you killed, not help you survive.

And yet, here he was, standing in Torvan’s workshop, asking the man to install headphones into his helmet so he could blast tunes while throwing punches and dodging attacks.

It was a crazy idea. Absolutely insane.

But Tatehan could not shake the thought that it would also be incredibly cool.

He had been thinking about it for a while now, actually.

Ever since his fights as Battle Commander, the adrenaline in those moments had been pumping so hard that everything else had faded away except the immediate need to survive.

In that moment, he had felt something almost... rhythmic about the way he moved, the way he attacked and dodged and adapted. Like there was a tempo to combat, a flow that his body instinctively followed.

And if there was a rhythm to fighting, then why not add music to enhance it?

’Stupid idea...’ 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Back on Earth, Tatehan had listened to music all the time. When he was working, when he was commuting, when he was just sitting around doing nothing.

It helped him think, helped him relax and helped him get into the right headspace for whatever he was doing.

And there had been times (rare times, admittedly) when he had gone for a run or worked out with music blasting in his ears, and it had made everything feel easier and more natural, like his body was moving in sync with the beat.

So why not apply that same principle to combat?

Sure, it was unorthodox. Sure, it was probably not what any professional fighter or military tactician would recommend.

But Tatehan was not a professional fighter. He was just a guy with a System and a set of abilities that let him punch way above his weight class. And if adding music to his fights made them more enjoyable, more engaging and maybe even more effective, then why the hell not?

Besides, it was not like he was going to be blasting music at full volume and ignoring everything else around him. The helmet already had advanced audio systems built in for communication and environmental awareness.

Torvan could probably set it up so the music played in the background, low enough that he could still hear what was going on but present enough to give him that extra boost of adrenaline and focus.

’Now this is a good idea.’

The idea of fighting to a soundtrack just sounded badass.

There was also the matter of why he had to bother Torvan with this in the first place.

Mars definitely had headphones. Tatehan had seen them in shops, advertised on public terminals and used by people walking through the streets. He could have just gone out and bought a pair, connect them to his phone, and called it a day.

But that was not what he wanted.

Tatehan wanted convenience. He wanted freedom, actually.

The ability to summon his helmet at any moment and instantly have access to music without needing to carry around a separate device or worry about pairing connections or dealing with the hassle of external equipment.

He wanted it integrated, seamless and part of the armor itself.

Because if he could just think the helmet into existence and have everything—protection, communication, music—all in one package, then that was one less thing to worry about. One less variable to manage in the middle of a fight.

And beyond that, there was another angle to this whole thing.

This little request, this seemingly trivial addition of headphones to his helmet, could be the start of something bigger.

Torvan was brilliant. The man could design and build things that most people would not even think were possible. And if Tatehan could get him interested, get him invested in upgrading the armor, then who knew what kind of enhancements might come next?

Better shielding. Enhanced mobility systems. Integrated weapons. Adaptive camouflage. The possibilities were endless, and all it took was getting Torvan’s attention and showing him that the armor was worth working on.

So yeah. The headphones were a small thing. But they were also a foot in the door.

They would lead to something bigger and more useful later on.

Tatehan reached up, his fingers finding the release mechanism on the side of the helmet. The segments unlocked with a soft click, and the helmet retracted smoothly.

He pulled it free and held it out to Torvan.

Torvan took it carefully, turning it over in his hands, examining the interior with the same analytical intensity he had shown earlier.

He ran his fingers along the edges, tracing the seams where the segments connected, and then he set it down on the workbench and pulled a magnifying lens over it.

"This is some seriously advanced tech," Torvan muttered, more to himself than to Tatehan. "The integration is seamless. Whoever designed this knew what they were doing."

Tatehan did not reply. He just watched as Torvan worked, pulling out tools and components, muttering under his breath as he began to disassemble part of the helmet’s interior.

"Should take me some minutes," Torvan said, glancing up briefly before returning his attention to the helmet.

Tatehan nodded, leaning against one of the workbenches. "Yeah, take your time."

There was a pause, and then Tatehan decided to fill the silence. "I got the armor from some monsters I slayed out in the wastelands. It was pretty old back then, not as cool as this. It’s this cool now because Lyra helped me upgrade it with a core."

Torvan looked up, interest flickering in his eyes. "A power core?"

"Yeah," Tatehan said. "From one of the creatures. We integrated it into the armor’s systems, and it... changed things. Made it stronger and more responsive."

Torvan smiled, shaking his head slightly. "Magic."

Tatehan grinned. "Pretty much."

They both laughed, the sound small, breaking the awkwardness that had lingered at the start of the conversation.

Torvan worked in silence for a few minutes, his hands moving like some skilled robot as he rewired sections of the helmet’s internal audio systems.

He pulled out a small interface module, connected it to a diagnostic tablet, and ran a series of tests to make sure the modifications would not interfere with the helmet’s other functions.

Then he paused and looked up at Tatehan. "I need your phone."

Tatehan blinked. "My phone?"

"Yeah. The one you want to sync the music to."

"Oh. Right." Tatehan pulled his phone device out of his pocket, unlocked it with a quick swipe of his thumb across the biometric scanner, and handed it over.

Torvan took it, connecting it to the helmet via a thin cable that he plugged into a port on the side. His fingers flew across the phone’s interface, navigating through settings and permissions, configuring the connection between the device and the helmet’s audio system.

It took less than five minutes.

Torvan unplugged the cable, handed the phone back to Tatehan, and then picked up the helmet, giving it one final inspection before nodding in satisfaction.

"Alright," Torvan said, holding the helmet out toward Tatehan. "Try it."

Tatehan took the helmet, turning it over in his hands. He glanced at Torvan, who was watching him with a faint smile, clearly curious to see if his work had paid off.

Tatehan grinned.

"Let’s see if this works."